7 Ways To Make Your Blog Stand Out From The Crowd

Intro

Even if you get over your initial fear of writing blogs, there are still many hurdles to overcome. Not only are there millions of blogs, but also new styles are constantly being introduced.

Also, in a world of YouTube videos and Instagram reels, how valid are blogs anymore? With almost 77% of the internet users still subscribed to at least a few blogs, that should not be your worry.

So, you have been grinding day-in and day-out to publish more blogs. Is that enough to stand out?

Perhaps it is time to take a different approach and work more creatively towards making your blog stand out from the crowd.

Overcoming the Fear of Blogging Failure

How many times have you found yourself thinking of the ideal situation and motivation to write a blog? And yet, when you sit down, you have difficulty penning even a single thought.

More often than not, one may refrain from working on a blog from the sheer fear of it! Sounds too far-fetched?

In her published work on The American Behavioral Scientist, Laura J. Gurak has given a detailed explanation. 'The Psychology of Blogging: You, Me, and Everyone in Between' has been published with co-author Smiljana Antonijevic.

Note: Gurak is an associated professor at the University of Minnesota and a faculty fellow member there. Antonijevic is a senior researcher on digital anthropology.

The study depicts every thought and emotion that comes into play when you sit to write a blog. It has been noted that the most common fear among bloggers and non-bloggers is self-exposure.

Blogs are, in a way, both public and private at the same time. They allow for conversations to flow and often involve a person’s innermost thoughts and experiences. This is very similar to the works of an academic or a journalist.

When you are exposing your innermost thoughts to an unknown audience, it can be overwhelming. But like every great thing, your blogging journey will start on the other side of fear.

Here are a few ways to overcome that.

Finding Your Niche

Most people fear starting a blog because they often do not know what they want to write. Not knowing your niche or expertise puts you in a blank spot.

Figure out what interests you the most. It could be an informative blog or a personal one. Your blog can be on any topic that interests you, but you need to decide before writing.

Overcoming Fear of Not Succeeding

One starts a blog with various intentions in mind. Whether you want to drive a passive income or reach a larger audience, blog writing is mostly a pleasurable act.

Therefore, try to enjoy the process rather than focusing and getting anxious over the outcome. Taking that leap of faith is the first step towards your success.

Getting Over Social Anxiety

Again, this is a large part of the reason that prevents people from blogging. From advertising yourself to building connections, this will need you to step out of your comfort zone.

Start small by commenting on a fellow blogger’s social media or sharing their content. Relationship building is a gradual process, and over time you will learn how rewarding it is.

7 Tips to Make Your Blog Stand Out

Now that you have finally overcome your fear of blogging, you have sat down to write that perfect blog. Simply writing it is not enough, though!

Having an outstanding blog might be a lot of work, but it is worth the effort. Having a powerful blogging platform helps build your authority on the internet and ranking on search engines that will eventually bring in the cash (read sponsors)!

However, the immense confidence boost you will receive while educating yourself and sharing a part of yourself with people will be massive.

Here are 7 tips to help catapult your blog into the forefront.

1. Choose a Unique Topic

The good news is that you do not need to write on some vague or incomprehensible subject. The best way is to cover a topic in a simplified manner which was not attempted before. Rather than the topic itself, it will be your unique voice and humor that will add character to it.

For example, you can try blogging in the 1^st person or a 3^rd person to set a style. Also, adding a catchy introduction will grab the attention of an impatient audience quickly.

As a blogger, you have the scope of being more accessible to your readers. Use this opportunity to make your voice heard through a story that your readers will understand.

Take Darren Rowse, for example. His blogging journey started in 2004. Ever since his project, ProBlogger’s personal approach has remained an inspiration for many. Ironically enough, his latest post has been about adding originality to the content.

(Image source: https://problogger.com/blog/)

2. Emphasize on Content Quality

In blog writing, quality means many things. For some, it is the information that a researcher can gather. Others might stick around for the experience they enjoy while reading it. A quality blog will uplift your authority by attracting backlinks, establishing your niche-specific authority, and building social media presence.

Use high-quality graphics and images to improve the quality of your blog. A photographer or a fashion or travel blogger will understand the impact of quality images best.

However, the soul of your blog is your style of writing. So, write a thousand blogs till you find your own voice that will resonate within the readers. Popular blogging platform WordPress emphasizes this aspect with its customized themes.

(Image source: https://blog.hubspot.com/)

3. Recognize and Utilize Your Skills and Strengths

As Roy T. Bennett says in ‘The Light in the Heart’- “Focus on your strengths, not your weaknesses..”, professional blogging requires a lot of skills. This includes Networking, content writing, understanding CSS and HTML, SEO, and photo editing.

(Image source: https://www.problogbooster.com/)

These are the general skills required though there are many other skills associated with blogging. It depends mainly on your niche.

Maybe you have a better understanding of SEO, or your photo editing skills are leagues apart! Whatever it is, focus on your strengths and optimize them throughout your blogs instead of focusing on what you can’t do.

4. Create an Appealing Blog Design

Brands like Spartan Branding stand out not for the niche writing but for the appealing design of the content. Just one glance at the blog page, you will know how pleasant it is to browse the main page.

(Image source: https://spartanbrandingco.com/blog/)

Of course, the eye-catching content helps it stand out. Apart from that, the descriptive information on each article also helps.

5. Let Your Personality Exude Through Your Blog

According to HubSpot, a brand’s personality is the human characteristics that are showcased through marketing. The same applies to your blog.

Take the blog by Professor Lawrence Lessig, for example. In his initial blogging days, this Yale alumnus often spoke of his personal opinions regarding legal matters.

In contrary to this, the blogs by Meg Hourihan depicted somewhat of her emotional conditions and had a projection of private information. If you don’t know who Hourihan is, she is the founder who created the popular blogging platform Blogger.

(Image source: https://slidetodoc.com/)

6. Be Proactive and Consistent

A good blogging platform acts as a community for the readers. Your audience could be following you for information or mental connection. Therefore, you need to build a relationship with them.

There are a few ways to do this.

Blog comments

Always make sure to comment on others' blogs if you find it relatable. And if somebody comments on yours, do acknowledge them. Having a conversation in the comment section is also great for the SEO of your blog.

(Image source: https://econsultancy.com/)

Social media comments and activity

Want to publicize your content? Cross-promotion of your blog on social media (your page, group, or some public group for bloggers) can be a great way. Also, if you are active on some other social media, try telling a story on your posts.

Be active in the Facebook community

Again, focus on building a community rather than just staying in your own bubble. Being active in different communities related to your niche will also help you learn about your competitors.

(Image source: https://www.languages247.com/create-a-blog/facebook-groups-blog-traffic/)

7. Prioritize your Readers

While writing a blog, the best thing you can do is care about your readers and be vulnerable! You don’t get readers because you write a lot or well. You get readers when you paint pictures in their minds.

Forget the topic and the niche. Unless you can tell a good story with it, none of it matters.

In this regard, the BrandStruck Blog has struck the right chords. Not only do they engage their audience with well-informed and thoughtful content, but their quizzes also drive a lot of engagement.

(Image source: https://brandstruck.co/blog/)

The Bottom Line

Every good blogger you will find will have one thing in common- originality. There is no fit-for-all solution that you can copy and paste.

However, if you follow the process mentioned above, you will find your own voice that will help you stand out from the crowd.